The present invention relates to a printing system designed to print various data files including, for example, image data, document data, HTML style document, etc. that are received from a server by means of mail using a personal computer or a portable telephone, or PDA.
In recent years, portable terminals such as portable telephone units or PDA have come to be widely popularized. Many of these portable terminals have function to connect Internet. Also, many personal computers (PC) have function to connect Internet. These PC and portable terminals having function to connect Internet perform sending and receiving data by utilizing electronic mail (hereinafter to be referred to as mail) through Internet. It is desired for these portable terminals and PC to transmit data through Internet and print data with ease.
For example, there is shown in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-254752 a technique to store documents (data) in a document control server by means of mail. Besides, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-339237 shows a technique to transmit documents (data) to a printing apparatus through mail and print said documents with a printing apparatus.
However, it is desired for the user to print the document of own selection freely at any time anywhere. Moreover, it is desired to instruct printing to any means without discriminating the portable terminal or PC and effect printing with the preferred printer at any time anywhere.
Furthermore, it is desired that printing instructions may be freely sent to any apparatus connected to Internet, and printing may be done with the printer connected to Internet at any time anywhere. And, it is desired that various instructions can be given from the apparatuses connected to Internet.
With the conventional apparatuses, it is not free for the apparatuses connected to Internet to make setting of printing or setting of printing place. Especially, in printing with a portable telephone or a PDA, it is extremely difficult to instruct what to print where in printing, because there is no printing apparatus direct at hand.